Support strap dispensers and methods

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for storing and dispensing a rolled support strap, including but not limited to hanger straps (sometimes referred to as “plumber&#39;s tape”) such as those sold under the trade name TAB TAPE®, as well as assemblies that include a dispenser and a rolled support strap therein, and associated methods.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/701,692, filed Sep. 16, 2012 and entitled “Support Strap Dispenser,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present inventions relate generally to dispensers for support straps.

2. Related Art

Support straps are commonly used to secure mechanical and electrical building components, such as plumbing pipes, conduit, heating and air conditioning ducts, and water heaters, to building support structures or to suspend these components from building support structures. In the exemplary context of hanger straps (sometimes referred to as “plumber's tape”), a flexible strip of material, such as sheet metal (e.g., a 24 or 28 gauge strip of copper-plated steel or galvanized steel) or polypropylene, is attached at one end to a support member such as a beam, post, or wall stud. The other end of the strip is wrapped around the pipe or conduit and attached in some manner to the first end, thereby forming a loop which supports the conduit. Support straps will often include regularly spaced holes along the length of the strap, and some support straps include fasteners to facilitate the connection of one portion of the strap to another after the formation of the loop.

Support straps are commonly distributed in roll form. The length of the support strap in the roll is such that many individual straps will be cut from the roll. The installer will unroll a portion of the strap and remove it from the remainder with a metal cutting tool. Exemplary roll lengths include, but are not limited to, 10 feet, 25 feet and 50 feet. The support strap rolls are commonly held with one hand and cut with a tool held in the other hand during the unrolling and cutting process. The support strap rolls are also commonly stored within tool boxes or the like during periods of non-use. The present inventor has determined that conventional usage and storage methodologies associated with support strap rolls are susceptible to improvement. For example, the resiliency of the rolled support strap can cause the support strap to move as the user is trying to cut it. The thin metal material that forms the support strap may also have sharp side edges that can injure the user. The support strap roll may also unwind or be otherwise disfigured, and/or the support strap may be bent, when stored in a tool box.

SUMMARY

A support strap dispenser in accordance with at least one of the present inventions includes a housing with an internal storage region and an outlet, and an apparatus, associated with housing, that is configured to frictionally engage the support strap to prevent unwanted movement of the support strap. The present inventions also include an assembly which has such a support strap dispenser and a support strap roll located therein. The present inventions also include methods of dispensing a support that include the steps of storing the support strap in rolled and frictionally engaging the support strap to prevent movement of the support strap relative to the outlet absent user-applied force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the inventions will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support strap dispenser in accordance with one embodiment of a present invention.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the support strap dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the support strap dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another portion of the support strap dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a dispenser head in accordance with one embodiment of a present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a portion of the dispenser head illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the support strap dispenser illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 with a support strap roll located therein and a portion of the dispenser housing removed so that the interior is visible.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a portion of the support strap dispenser illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 with a support strap roll located therein and a portion of the support strap extending through the dispenser outlet.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support strap dispenser in accordance with another embodiment of a present invention.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 11.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 11 in an open state.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a portion of the support strap dispenser portion illustrated in FIG. 11 in an open state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The following is a detailed description of the best presently known modes of carrying out the inventions. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the inventions.

As illustrated for example in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support strap dispenser 100 includes a housing 102 having end walls 104 and 106 and a side wall 108 therebetween. The housing 102 defines an interior storage region 110, in which a support strap roll can be stored and protected from damage, and an outlet 112 through which portions of the support strap may be pulled. The housing 102 may be provided with a flat surface 114 that allows the strap dispenser 100 to rest in an upright position on a floor, table or other flat support surface. Apertures 116 and 118, which extend through end walls 104 and 106, perform a number of functions. For example, the apertures 116 and 118 form a handle through which the user can place his fingers, with the thumb in the indentation 120, during use. Holding the strap dispenser 100 (with the support strap roll carried therein) reduces the likelihood that an edge of the support strap will injure the user, and also allows the other hand to hold a cutting tool. The apertures 116 and 118 also define windows that allow the user to see how much of the support strap roll (not shown here) remains within the support strap dispenser 100. A support member 122, which extends from end wall 104 to end wall 106, provides structural support to maintain the spacing between the walls and, in some instances, defines an axle for the support strap roll. Each wall 104 and 106 may also be provided with reinforcing members 124 that augment the structural integrity of the wall. The reinforcing members 124 may be located on the exterior surface (as shown), the interior surface, or both. The housing may also include aperture 125 for a D-ring or other structure that allows the support strap dispenser 100 to be connected to a tool belt or the like.

Although the present dispensers are not limited to any particular shape, the exemplary housing 102 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is generally disc-shaped. One end of the exemplary housing 102 has the flat surface 114, and the other end of the housing includes the outlet 112 and a dispenser head 126. During use, and as is explained in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 7-10, the user pulls portions of the support strap stored within the dispenser 100 through the outlet 112 prior to cutting off the desired length of support strap. The dispenser head 126 fixes the position of the support strap when the support strap is not being pulled, thereby preventing inward and outward movement of the support strap.

The exemplary housing 102 is defined by a pair of housing members 102 a and 102 b. The housing members 102 a and 102 b may, in some instances, be partially or fully separable from one another in order to facilitate placement of the support strap roll into the storage region 110. The housing members 102 a and 102 b respectively include one of the end walls 104 and 106, and portions 108 a and 108 b of the side wall 108. In the illustrated implementation, the housing members 102 a and 102 b pivot relative to one another. A hinge about which the housing members 102 a and 102 b pivot is located adjacent to the flat surface 114, and a latch mechanism that locks the housing members 102 a and 102 b in the closed state illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is located on the dispenser head 126. The respective locations of the hinge and latch, which are discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 3-6, may vary in other implementations.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing members 102 a and 102 b each include a portion of the hinge. In the illustrated arrangement, the housing member 102 a includes a pair of arms 128 that have a wall 130 which defines an indentation 132. The housing member 102 b has a corresponding pair of pins 134. The respective sizes and locations of the arms 128 and pins 134 are such that, when the housing members 102 a and 102 b are brought together, the arms will deflect slightly and the pins will snap into the semi-circular portion of the indentation 132. The housing member 102 b is also provided with clearance slots 136 that the arms 128 move in to as the housing member 102 a pivots away for the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the open position.

The exemplary support strap dispenser 100 is also configured to automatically lock when the housing members 102 a and 102 b pivot from the open position to the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. To that end, and referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the exemplary latch includes latch member 138 that cooperates with a latch surface 140. The latch member 138, which is carried by the housing member 102 b in the illustrated embodiment, has a deflectable beam 142 and a projection 144 with a cam surface 146. The projection 144 may extend laterally over a portion of the width of the beam 142 (as shown) or all the way across the beam. The latch surface 140 is formed on the housing member 102 b adjacent to the indentation 120. The housing member 102 b is also provided with a slot 148. As the housing members 102 a and 102 b are pivoted toward one another, the cam surface 146 will engage the edge 150 of the slot, thereby deflecting the beam 142. The projection 144 will then slide along the surface of the slot 148, as the beam 142 remains deflected, until the projection 144 reaches the edge 152 of the slot 148. The resilience of the beam 142 will then cause the flat surface 154 on the projection 144 to engage the latch surface 140.

The stiffness of the beam 140 will maintain the latch in the latched state until the beam is deflected (upwardly in the illustrated orientation) to such an extent the flat surface 154 on the projection 144 is free of the latch surface 140. This may be accomplished by, for example, placing a thumb in the recess 120 and then pushing the latch member 138. The housing members 102 a and 102 b can then be separated by pivoting them about the aforementioned hinge.

It should be noted here that the present dispensers are not limited to any particular hinge or latch arrangement. For example, the hinge may be omitted and two separable housing members may be provided that can be attached and detached as necessary.

The housing 102 may also be provided with various alignment and support features. In the illustrated implementation, and referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, housing portion 102 a includes a pair of posts 156 with pin receptacles 158 and housing portion 102 b includes a pair of posts 160 with pins 162. The posts 156 and 160 are sized and positioned such that the pins 162 will be located within the pin receptacles 158 when the housing 102 is in the closed state illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The support member 122 is defined by a pair of support member portions 122 a and 122 b that abut one another when the housing 102 is in the closed state. The number and location of such alignment and support features may differ in other implementations.

When a support strap roll is placed into the storage region 110, the outer portion of the roll will be located radially inward of the posts 156 and 160 and the lower guide 168 (discussed below) but for the portion of the support strap roll that has entered the dispenser head 126. In many instances, the portion of the support strap roll that is approaching the dispenser head will rest against the inner surface 164 (FIG. 3) of the side wall 108.

Turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, the exemplary dispenser head 126 includes an upper guide (or “first guide”) 166, a lower guide (or “second guide”) 168 and a gap 170 therebetween. The housing portions 102 a and 102 b include identical mirror image portions of the upper guide 166, lower guide 168 and gap 170, and the discussion below is applicable to both housing portions. The support strap passes through the gap 170 on its way to the outlet 112, and the frictional forces between the support strap and portions of the upper guide 166 and lower guide 168 prevent unwanted movement of the support strap relative to the dispenser head 126. The upper guide 166, lower guide 168 and gap 170 in the illustrated implementation undulate over their respective lengths. In particular, the upper guide 166 includes a surface with a convex region 172, a concave region 174 and an apex 176 between the two. In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall inner surface 164 and the upper guide convex region 172 together define a smooth, continuous surface. As discussed below with reference to FIG. 9, the apex 176 applies a friction-generating force to the support strap that bends the support strap. The lower guide 168 includes an end 178, which defines the pickup (or entry) point where the support strap enters the dispenser head 126 as well as a convex region 180 and a concave region 182. The lower guide end 178 also applies a friction-generating force to the support strap.

In some implementations, including the illustrated implementation, the lower guide 168 may also have a recess 184 that accommodates protrusions that may be found on some support straps (e.g., the support strap illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,571 and sold under the trade name TAB TAPE®). As a result, the exemplary lower guide 168 has a pair of spaced guide surfaces (or rails) 186 that are separated by the recess 184.

The materials and size of the dispenser 100 will depend on the intended usage. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, thermoplastic polymers such as polypropylene. A dispenser 100 that is configured for 26-28 gauge support strap rolls that range from 10 to 25 feet in length (unrolled) may be about 5 to 6 inches in height and width. The thickness will depend on the width of the intended support strap.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show the exemplary support strap dispenser 100 with a rolled support strap 200 carried therein. Although the present inventions are not limited to any particular support straps, the exemplary support strap 200 includes a main body 202 and a plurality of apertures 204. The main body 202 has a top surface 206, a bottom surface 208 and side edges 210 and 212. Suitable support strap materials include, but are not limited to, copper, galvanized steel and polypropylene, that is about 0.75 to 1.5 inch wide and about 0.016 inch to about 0.013 inch thick (i.e. about 26-28 gauge).

The support strap 200 is wound into a spiral roll, with the radially outermost portion 200 a entering the dispenser head 126 by way of the gap 170. As a result of being wound into a spiral roll, the support strap 200 defines a first curvature. The magnitude of the first curvature may vary over the length of the support strap and may even be zero (i.e. support strap 200 may be straight) just prior to entering the gap 170 at the lower guide end 178. The lower guide end 178 and support strap portion 200 b engage one another with enough force, in a direction generally perpendicular to support strap portion 200 b, to bend the support strap 200 at the point of engagement into a second curvature. As a result, there is a friction force between the lower guide end 178 and support strap portion 200 b that resists outward and inward movement (note arrows A and B) of the support strap 200 relative to the dispenser head 126. The relative thicknesses of the gap 170 and support strap 200, and the undulating shape of the upper guide 166 and the lower guide 168, results in the support strap being spaced apart from (and out of contact with) the upper guide and the lower guide between the upper guide apex 176 and the lower guide end 178. The upper guide apex 176 and support strap portion 200 c engage one another with enough force, in a direction generally perpendicular to strap portion 200 c, to bend the support strap 200 at the point of engagement into a third curvature. The second and third curvatures are in different directions in the illustrated embodiment, and may be of the same magnitude or different magnitudes. A friction force is created between the upper guide apex 176 and support strap portion 200 c that also resists outward and inward movement of the support strap 200 relative to the dispenser head 126. It should also be noted that friction force is applied to both the top and bottom surfaces 206 and 208 of the strap main body 202.

The combined magnitude of the friction forces between the dispenser head 126 and the support strap 200 is large enough to prevent unwanted movement of the support strap in or out of the dispenser 100. The rolled support strap 200 may, for example, store potential energy that is created when the support strap is rolled, when the support strap is placed into the dispenser 100, and/or when a portion of the support strap is pulled through the outlet 112 by the user. Absent the friction force, the support strap 200 could move after the user has pulled the desired length support strap through the outlet 112, released the end of the support strap, and is holding the dispenser 100 with one hand and a cutting tool with the other. The overall friction force should not, however, be so high that it precludes the user from pulling the support strap through the outlet 112.

The friction force may also be adjusted in a variety of ways. For example, the thickness of the gap 170 (or a portion thereof) may be reduced to a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the support strap 200, thereby increasing the amount of dispenser head/support strap contact. The upper guide 166 and/or the lower guide 168 may also be reconfigured such that the bending of the support strap is more or less severe and/or occurs at additional or fewer points along the support strap. The smooth, undulating curvatures of the upper guide 166 and/or the lower guide 168 may be replaced with sharper corners and more abrupt changes in direction. Surface roughening may also be employed. Additionally, or alternatively, friction generating forces may be applied to the side edges 210 and 212 of the support strap 200 to control its position within the dispenser head 126.

It should also be noted that the first and second guides 166 and 168 may be reoriented from their illustrated upper/lower orientation. For example, there may be instances where the portion of the support strap 200 within the dispenser head 126 is rotated to some extent from its illustrated orientation (e.g., ninety degrees) about its longitudinal axis. Here, the first and second guides would be correspondingly rotated and, therefore, could be referred to as “right” and “left” guides, or simply “side,” guides.

Another exemplary support strap dispenser is generally represented by reference numeral 300 in FIG. 11. Support strap dispenser 300 is essentially identical to support strap dispenser 100 in structure, function, materials and operating methodology, and similar elements are represented by similar reference numerals. For example, support strap dispenser 300 includes a housing 302 having end walls 304 and 306 and a side wall 308 therebetween. The housing 302 defines an interior storage region 310, in which a support strap roll can be stored and protected from damage, and an outlet 312 through which portions of the support strap may be pulled. The housing 302 is also provided with a flat surface 314 that is discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 14-16. Apertures 316 and 318, which extend through end walls 304 and 306, form a handle and define windows in the manner described above. A support member 322 is also provided, as are reinforcing members 324 on each wall 304 and 306.

The exemplary housing 302 is defined by a pair of housing members 302 a and 302 b that pivot relative to one another about a hinge 328 (FIGS. 14-16). A latch mechanism, including exemplary latch member 338, that locks the housing members 302 a and 302 b in the closed state illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 may be located on the dispenser head 326. The location of the latch member 328 is offset from the location of latch member 128 in dispenser 100.

Turning to FIGS. 12 and 13, the exemplary support strap dispenser 300 also includes a dispenser head 326 that fixes the position of the support strap when the support strap is not being pulled by the user, thereby preventing inward and outward movement of the support strap. Like the dispenser head 126, the dispenser head 326 includes an upper guide (or “first guide”) 366, a lower guide (or “second guide”) 368 and a gap 370 therebetween, each of which undulate over their respective lengths. The support strap passes through the gap 370 on its way to the outlet 312, and the frictional forces between the support strap and portions of the upper guide 366 and lower guide 368 prevent unwanted movement of the support strap relative to the dispenser head 326 in the manner described above. The lower guide 368 in the illustrated implementation also has a recess 384 that accommodates protrusions that may be found on some support straps and a pair of spaced guide surfaces (or rails) 386 that are separated by the recess 384. Here, however, a plurality of triangular structures 385 are located within the recess 384 and are longitudinally spaced along the gap 380. The triangular structures 385 facilitate loading the support strap (e.g., support strap 200 in FIGS. 9 and 10) into the dispenser 300. In particular, the triangular structures 385 guide one of the support strap side edges (e.g., side edge 210 or 212) onto one of the guide surfaces 386 as the support strap placed into one of the housing members 302 a and 302 b when the dispenser 300 is in an open, and guide the other support strap side edge onto the other guide surface as the housing members are brought together to close the dispenser.

As illustrated for example in FIGS. 14-16, the housing flat surface 314 is formed from flat portions 314 a and 314 b on housing members 302 a and 302 b. Each flat portion 314 a and 314 b includes a pair of protrusions 315 that support the dispenser 300 when it is placed in an upright position on a floor, table or other flat support surface. The flat portions 314 a and 314 b also serve as the location at which the housing members 302 a and 302 b are pivotably connected to one another. To that end, one or more hinges (e.g., living hinges) 328 connect the housing members 302 a and 302 b to one another at the flat portions 314 a and 314 b.

Although the present inventions have been described in terms of the preferred embodiments above, numerous modifications and/or additions to the above-described preferred embodiments would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. By way of example, but not limitation, the present inventions include assemblies that comprise a support strap dispenser as described above or claimed below in combination with a support strap roll located in the internal storage region of the support strap dispenser. The dispensers described above and claimed below may also be used in conjunction with wire and other dispensable objects that are stored in roll form and cut to length as they are consumed. It is intended that the scope of the present inventions extends to all such modifications and/or additions. 

I claim:
 1. A dispenser for use with a support strap, the dispenser comprising: a housing including an internal storage region configured to store a support strap roll and an outlet; and an apparatus, associated with housing, that is configured to frictionally engage the support strap to prevent movement of the support strap relative to the outlet absent user-applied force.
 2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is adjacent to the outlet.
 3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a dispenser head.
 4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a upper guide and a lower guide that define a gap therebetween through which the support strap passes; and at least one of the upper guide and the lower guide is configured and positioned to frictionally engage the support strap.
 5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper guide and the lower guide are configured and positioned to frictionally engage the support strap at respective locations that are spaced from one another.
 6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upper guide and the lower guide undulate.
 7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a first guide and a second guide that define a gap therebetween through which the support strap passes; and at least one of the first guide and the second guide is configured and positioned to frictionally engage the support strap.
 8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first guide and the second guide are configured and positioned to frictionally engage the support strap at respective locations that are spaced from one another.
 9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first guide has a pair of spaced guide surfaces that are separated by a recess.
 10. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first guide and the second guide undulate.
 11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing includes first and second housing members that are pivotably connected to one another by a hinge.
 12. A dispenser for use with a support strap, the dispenser comprising: a housing including an internal storage region configured to store a support strap roll and an outlet; and means, associated with housing, for frictionally engaging the support strap and preventing movement of the support strap relative to the outlet absent user-applied force.
 13. A dispenser as claimed in claim 12, wherein the means is adjacent to the outlet.
 14. A dispenser as claimed in claim 12, wherein the housing includes first and second housing members that are pivotably connected to one another by a hinge.
 15. A method of dispensing a support strap, the method comprising the steps of: storing the support strap in rolled form within a housing that includes an internal storage region and an outlet; and frictionally engaging the support strap to prevent movement of the support strap relative to the outlet absent user-applied force.
 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the support strap includes a top portion, a bottom portion and side edges; and the top portion and the bottom portion is frictionally engaged at longitudinally spaced locations.
 17. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the step of frictionally engaging the support strap comprises engaging the support strap at a first location with enough force to bend the support strap at the point of engagement from a first curvature to a second curvature.
 18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of frictionally engaging the support strap comprises engaging the support strap at a second location, that is longitudinally spaced from the first location, with enough force to bend the support strap at the point of engagement from the second curvature to a third curvature. 